You Are Family
by Kauri510
Summary: Prompt: "Basically one where Dean and Sam are jerks at first but are great big brothers in the end." Adam has meningitis but is too afraid to tell anyone about the fact that he's sick. When it gets to be too much, what'll happen?


**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or any of its characters or anything else you might recognize.**

 **AN: Okay this was a requested prompt from** **Parimalik** **which I thought was interesting. So I hope it came out like how you pictured.** **I do not know that much about this unfortunate disease, so I had to look a lot of it up online.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

Adam has been with the brothers for quite some time now, but unfortunately no matter what he does, the brothers won't pay any attention to him. At first, he thought it was because they didn't like the addition to the family(which he could've handled). It was understandable, and Adam didn't fault them for that. Now, not quite so much. He was starting to think maybe they didn't like him, and were just waiting for the right time to tell him to leave. He really hoped not.

Since they were passing through looking for a new hunt, they(as in Sam and Dean) decided it would be nice to visit Bobby. Adam liked the old man, so he was perfectly fine seeing him. At least then, he could talk to someone who would actually talk back.

They pulled into the salvage yard after spending most of the day on the road. Adam wasn't used to being in the car for long hours of the day, and at times he really wanted to voice his concerns, but one look at his brothers and he quickly shut his mouth.

Adam was struggling to find something to say, because he really wanted to get close to his brothers as much as Sam and Dean were close. It wasn't his fault that John never told him he had brothers. He would've loved to have known. Growing up with just his mother, and occasional visits from his father, wasn't enough.

Now that his mother was killed, he felt more alone. Finding out that he had brothers was amazing. It was the best thing he could've hoped for when he went out looking for John. Sam and Dean seemed like great men. They truly wanted to help him find his mother. Then when they asked him to come along after finding his mother lifted that loneliness that has weighed him down for so long, but now it was like he wasn't there at all. Being with Sam and Dean... he felt even more alone than before the brothers said anything.

He cleared his throat. "So-"

The brothers got out of the car in perfect sync. Why have a third that could ruin that sync? Hearing the door slam before Adam could finish speaking made him flinch. He sighed. _Every time._

* * *

Seeing the old man, Dean and Sam greeted him and walked in forgetting that Adam was behind them... or with them.

Bobby may be getting old, but he wasn't blind. He enjoyed the kid's company, and felt that Adam needed it just as bad. He didn't understand why either of the brothers would behave this way to Adam when family meant the world to them. Family was number one when it came to the Winchesters.

"Hey, kid,'' Bobby said clapping him on the shoulder. Seeing the kid smile, Bobby knew that he hadn't done that since he last saw him.

"Hi, Bobby. How've you been?" he asked walking in trying.

Bobby shrugged which was his usual answer to that question. Before Adam went to far in, Bobby held him back.

"What's got you wound up?" Bobby may be the town drunk, but he really did care about Adam. It was sad that he was the only one.

Before Adam could lie, Bobby gave him the look that said, 'I'm not in the mood to take you bullshit.'

Sighing, he asked, ''What am I doing wrong?" He hated that he sounded like a whiny two year old.

"What do you mean?"

"Ever since they asked me to come with them, they haven't said one word to me. I've tried talking about what little I know about cars. I've tried talking about helping them out with hunts. I offered to clean the car just to get something from Dean. I offered to help Sam with research even though I don't know what the hell I'm looking for." He frowned.

Without giving Bobby a chance to speak, he continued, "You told me that family was important to the Winchesters, right?" Bobby nodded. Adam looked away, "So how long until I'm family?" He began making his way to his room since there was only enough room for Sam and Dean in the other room.

He stopped at the door way. He said very low, but loud enough for Bobby to hear. "If they don't want me here, why can't they just say it already?"

It was obvious to anyone that the number one person in Dean's life was Sam. The number one person Sam's life was Dean. Adam didn't want to take either's place, he just wanted _a_ place. Just before the kitchen was out of sight, Adam saw Dean and Sam laughing over a beer. His mom was dead, his father was dead, and neither brother remembered he existed. He truly was alone...

* * *

The next morning, Adam shot out of bed straight for the bathroom. Just in the nick of time, he makes it to the toilet and vomits. He tries to keep quiet, not wanting to wake anyone up, particularly a certain brother who gets really cranky when woken up too early.

He hates that he has to go about this alone, but he'll deal. It's just a little vomit. Nothing serious. He washed his mouth out when he stopped puking.

Whenever he can he'd stay away from either of his brothers even though he really wanted to hang out with them. He wanted, more than anything, for Sam and Dean to love him like they do each other. He would even settle for being liked. It would be better than being ignored.

Sometime in the early afternoon, Adam was bent over his bed clutching his stomach. He was so glad his door was closed, because he didn't really want Bobby to pass by and see him. He clutched his eyes shut willing the pain he felt to go away. He had been like this for what felt like forever.

 _What's wrong with me?_ A few tears slipped down his face. _Someone help me._ He needed help, but who could he call? Bobby was outside working on a car, Sam and Dean would just ignore him like usual. He breathed through the pain.

 _I'm okay, I'm okay._ He repeated to himself over and over until he believed it. A few minutes later, the pain subsided. It was faint, but bearable. He stood up, and swayed some.

 _Maybe I just need to get something into my system._ For right now, he'll believe that, even though he knew something was wrong.

The worst thing about being sick in a house with an experienced hunter, is not being able to hide anything. As soon as he came into the kitchen, believing that he was perfectly fine, was being asked,

"Kid, are you okay?" Sam and Dean didn't even look up from the couch. Dean was too busy watching the TV, and Sam was reading a book. Adam was starting to get used to it, which he was completely denying. He wasn't getting used to it.

He nodded. "Just a little tired." He saw Bobby making lunch, and his earlier thought of eating went right out the window. He backed up slowly and ran to the bathroom clutching his stomach.

Bobby frowned. He looked down at his food, and tilt his head. He smelled his cooking. He shook his head. Couldn't be his food. The few times the boys have been over, Adam loved his chili. He sighed. As much as he didn't want to go through the headache that he knew would be coming, he called out.

* * *

"Boys?" They both looked his way. He motioned for them to come, and they obeyed.

"What's up? Lunch ready?" asked Dean.

Bobby rolled his eyes. Always thinking about food.

"I think your brother's sick. You might want to call a doctor,'' he said turning off the stove.

Dean looked confused and then at Sam who was just as confused.

"But I feel fine."

 _How sad,_ Bobby shook his head in disappointment.

"Your other brother." No response. "Adam? You know your half brother? John's other kid. The one whose mother was killed by ghouls. The one whose been riding in the backseat since you brought him along." Now he was getting pissed. "The brother who happens to be puking his guts out right now in pain."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Stop being dramatic. The kid's fine. Must've ate something." He waved off his brother's issues. They were about to return to the library, when Bobby stopped them.

"Okay, let me rephrase that." He cleared his throat. "CALL. A. DOCTOR!"

Dean sighed in frustration. Obviously, he was going to be missing Doctor Sexy.

"Sam, call Daniel. He should be off today,'' Dean said looking at a wall calendar that Bobby had hung up.

Moments later, the brothers were waiting in the kitchen for the local doctor. He was the only doctor that they knew who helped out hunters for a reasonable price. The same thing went through both Winchesters' minds: this kid better be sick; I was busy.

* * *

Adam had decided to go lay down for a little while after he was finished puking what little he had in his stomach. Coming back downstairs he hears an unfamiliar voice among his brothers' and Bobby's. It was strange. Not once since his first time meeting the old man did they ever get a visitor.

He was about to make himself known, when he heard his name. So being curious, Adam stood on the other side of the wall and listened as the others spoke in the kitchen.

"What are his symptoms?" asked a man. He sounded very business like.

"He's been puking like crazy. He looks really pale. I've noticed he's become quite sensitive to light, and he's been having really bad stomach pains,'' informed Bobby.

Adam frowned. He knew Bobby was perceptive, but how the hell did he notice all that? He's only been here for a day and a half. He didn't notice it before but Bobby was right, his eyes were a little sensitive to the light. No wonder he'd drawn his curtains, and hasn't gone outside much.

"Look! The kid probably just ate something bad. He might just have a sensitive stomach. It's not like he'd be used to a hunter's diet in such a short time,'' argued Dean.

"Dean, shut up!" Bobby yelled.

"Dean's right, Bobby. He's just not cut out for being a hunter and what comes with it."

Adam had tried to deny that his brothers hated him and didn't care, but to hear it was just as worse as his suspicions. He was never one to cry, but hearing the lack of care in his brothers' voices made him want to cry like a baby. Why couldn't his brothers care a little about him? Lost in his own thoughts, he didn't realize he'd been called.

"Adam!" called out Bobby.

Adam's head shot up, and saw all four men staring at him. Well, more like two men staring at him and the other two really wanting to leave.

"So," the doctor said sounding very professional, ''I hear you're very sick. Why don't sit down and let me check you out?" he said gesturing to the couch

This is so not what he wanted. Maybe it would've been fine if it was just Bobby. He didn't want his brothers to have another reason to think he wasn't cut out for being with them. Then again the way things were going it didn't matter.

The doctor gave him a full checkup, and when it was finished he went out to his car to get what he needed.

 _Okay, this isn't that bad._

Dean leaned up against the doorway with Sam sitting in a chair and Bobby on his desk all waiting for the doctor. Adam couldn't bring himself to look at any of them.

"You know," began Dean smirking at Sam, "I bet he's going to have to use big ass needles, right Sam?"

Sam getting the gist, "Yeah, he'll probably have to do a spinal tap."

Adam gulped. He's heard about that. There was no way he was going to allow some guy stick a huge needle in his back. His body began to shake with fear at the thought of being stuck with a needle. Ever since he was little, he has always been deathly afraid with needles. His mother would always speak with comforting words to distract him whenever a nurse or doctor had to stick him with a needle.

Where was the comfort now?

His brothers went on and on about being stuck with hundreds of needles if he wanted to get better. Puking his guts out, and stomach pains was looking a lot better than needles. There was no way he was going to be able to go through with it without his mom.

He could feel his fear taking over, and just as his brothers was about to say something else, Adam runs off. He was not about to let some doctor who he didn't know for sure was a real doctor stick needles into his arm.

* * *

Daniel returns just in time to see Adam running up the stairs with tears running down his face.

"What happened? Where is he going?" he asked setting his bag down.

"I don't know," Sam said picking up his book. The kid wasn't cut out for this. If he couldn't handle a needle, there was no way he could handle hunting.

Daniel sighed. "Well, is he going to come down or what? I have things to do today."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Why the hell did we bring him along again? Sam help the doc with the setup." Sam too rolled his eyes, but got up and did as he was told. He wasn't going to be reading his book now.

Adam could hear heavy foot steps coming toward his room. He shut his eyes and felt more tears fall down his face. The pain in his stomach were back and worse than ever. He clutched his abdomen praying over and over for the pain to go away; it didn't.

"Stop being a baby and come down stairs!'' he heard Dean say. He didn't know which pain was worse. The pain that he knew his brothers hated him, or the pain that he felt was slowly killing him.

He didn't recall exactly what happened, but he knew Dean was dragging him down the stairs by his collar. Why did Dean have to hate him so much? Didn't he realize he was hurting?

He remembered being sat down on the couch. He opened his eyes and saw different facial expressions on each man's faces. Dean looked pissed. Bobby looked concerned. Sam looked bored, and the doctor looked indifferent.

"Now sit down and let the man do his job so he can leave. Understood?" ordered Dean.

Adam nodded wanting to really cry at the physical pain he felt. He could do this. The sooner he got this over with, the sooner this pain will go away. The emotional pain he knew wouldn't be going away anytime soon.

All that went out the window as soon as he laid eyes on the needle the doctor pulled out. He wished his mother was here, he needed the comfort to get through this. His body was shaking even worse now that he saw the needle. The doctor tapped the needle and was just about to stick him when Adam pushed it away and ran off.

He didn't know how he got there but he found himself huddled in a small closet. He would be safe in here.

* * *

Watching Adam run off again was seriously pissing off Dean. He was missing Doctor Sexy all because his stupid brother was getting a tummy ache. If he grew up with them, he would know to man up and move on like him and Sam.

"You got to be fucking kidding me!" Without thinking straight, he chased after Adam. If he was just a few seconds later, he would've missed where his brother went. A closet? Really? He wanted to pull his hair out with how his brother was behaving.

Dean yanked the door open and saw how pitiful his brother looked. He grabbed his arm and dragged him back to the library. Instead of sitting his brother down like last time, he forced him on his stomach. Adam seemed to be in too much pain to resist. Dean hadn't done something like this in years, but he wasn't going to let that stop him.

Adam felt himself being forced on his stomach almost blinded by the pain he felt. His eyes shot open in shock at a different pain. That did not just happen. There was no way that Dean just spanked him. Dean spanked him! What the hell? What was he five? He has never been spanked by his mom or father. Now he's just been spanked by his older brother... in front of others. How humiliating.

"Now stay put and don't move!" ordered Dean.

Not wanting to be hit again, he sat up wincing at the pain he felt. He nodded his head but not looking at his brothers.

It was the doctor's turn to speak this time. "Adam, you need to stay seated. I don't have time for this. I have things to do today, so stay put so I can leave." Adam nodded his understanding.

Sam and Dean turn to leave not wanting to be in the room. It didn't matter that Adam had been with them for some time now, they just didn't want to be in there. They didn't really interact with the kid, so it felt odd being there. It was already awkward enough when they're looking for hunts, something like this they felt out of place.

They were just about to be completely out of the room when they barely hear their brother cry for his mom. They turn to look at Adam and see him watching the needle come closer to his skin crying like a baby. Now that Adam wasn't noticing them, they saw that he was really terrified.

They frowned. Neither brother could deny they felt like protecting Adam from whatever he was afraid of. He was their little brother, so as big brothers it was their job to keep the younger one safe no matter... even from something small as a needle. They shared a look and made their way back in.

* * *

Dean cleared his throat getting the attention from the doctor.

"Daniel, could you give us a minute?"

The doctor rolled his eyes, but stepped back. "Sure, why not? I'm already late as it is."

Both Dean and Sam sat next to Adam. "Adam?"

Adam didn't respond, but his crying quieted. They figured that he was listening.

"Adam, I'm sorry. We're both sorry for being dicks. We weren't trying to scare you about the needles. We were only teasing. Sam and I tease each other all the time, and we were wrong to do that with you when you haven't been here with us long enough."

Adam kept his head down, but he was indeed listening. Was he hearing things or did Dean really apologize? This had to be a joke, right?

"I don't understand." Adam was surprised that it was him speaking. "I've been with you guys for awhile now, why don't you guys like me? If you all want me gone, just say so."

There was a pause. "We don't want you to leave. I guess we've been acting the way we were because we didn't know how to act. I guess it's more because of the fact that we were angry with dad because he hid you from us. Since he's gone, we took it out on you."

Before Adam could respond Dean spoke. "You're our brother, and we're sorry we haven't been treating you like that. We are sorry that we didn't take into account that you've been sick. Having meningitis is no laughing matter, and I'm sorry for not paying attention to you. I don't want you to go, and neither does Sam. From now on, you'll have our attention." Dean gave him a sincere smile.

Adam thought over what he's just been told and couldn't help but feel warm inside. The loneliness wasn't completely gone, but it wasn't all there either. Thinking back to what Dean said,

"Wait, I have meningitis?!" He was totally freaking out. How the hell did he get that? When did he get that?

"You _had_ it. It can be cured. The Daniel concluded that that's what you have when you ran off. We were setting things up and he told me,'' informed Sam.  
Speaking of...

"Where is the doctor?" asked Adam looking around. The brothers too looked around for him.

Bobby came back from the front door rolling his eyes. "Well, while you three were sharing your feelings and braiding hair, the doc gave you the antibiotics and left. He said he'll be back next week for a follow up."

Adam looked down at his arm, and saw a cotton ball taped down. He smiled. The brothers sat there not knowing what else to say. It was then that Adam thought it was time to go lay down. Just before he was out of sight, he heard Sam call him. He saw both of his brothers standing there.

"Don't think you'll be getting rid of us too easily. You're family." Sam winked at him and Dean pointed upstairs, _Lay down and rest. I don't want you up anytime soon._ With that they went to the kitchen.

Adam stood there at the bottom of the steps staring at where his brothers just were. He couldn't fight the smile that broke across his face. In a very long time, he didn't feel alone.

 _Yeah, I'm not alone... not anymore._

* * *

 **AN: So doing prompts was a first for me, but I really enjoyed writing this. So, I know nothing about the process about curing meningitis, since I'm no doctor, so I just went with it. Obviously, I got some things wrong, but for this story just assume it's right.**

 **Thank you** **for the prompt. Until next time. -Kauri510**


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